Colin McRae is looking forward to the second round of the World Rally Championship in Sweden next month after his best-ever Monte Carlo Rally yesterday. The Scot finished third in his Subaru behind Spain's Carlos Sainz in the opening event of the year.

And the 1995 world champion regarded that showing as a bonus bearing in mind his undisguised dislike for the Monte Carlo event.

"I'm delighted with our result because I've only competed here three times and never had a good finish," said McRae.

"I do not like this rally and I never will like it so, if you'd told me yesterday we would be third, I'd never have believed you."

Sainz, driving a Toyota Corolla for the first time in six years, took no gambles to record his third victory in the event.

The Spaniard, victorious in 1991 and 1995, has now equalled the rally record of 21 World Championship wins held by Finland's four-times world champion Juha Kankkunen, who finished second.

Sainz drove a cautious race after taking over the lead when dual world champion Tommi Makinen of Finland crashed on yesterday's first special stage.